A legacy of service: AFR Fire Marshal's Office renamed after retired marshal

There’s a new name on the front of Albuquerque Fire Rescue’s Fire Marshal’s Office, courtesy of the city’s “Stories of Us” program.

Herman Bishop, who served as a firefighter with the department for over two decades, was named fire marshal in June 1974. He held that position for six years. Bishop is credited with developing many of the standard operating procedures the department still uses today.

Bishop was born in Caretta, West Virginia, deep in the heart of coal mining country. He left home at 18 after the mining jobs dried up and joined the Army in 1957. After basic training, he was sent to Sandia Base in Albuquerque and assigned as a military police officer, guarding nuclear weapons.

“This was at the heart of the Cold War, and they told us to stay alert and guard your post,” he said.

When he finished his assignment in 1960, he decided to stay in Albuquerque and applied to be a firefighter with the city.

Bishop retired from the department in 1986 after a 25-year career and the rank of assistant chief. He became a founding member of the Albuquerque Fire Department Retirees Association. Bishop has served as the association’s historian for the last 24 years, working to record and preserve the history of the agency.

In a ceremony at the Fire Marshal’s Office in Southwest Albuquerque on Monday morning, Bishop was honored for his lifetime of service to the department. The Marshal’s Office was renamed after him in his honor.

“Herman Bishop has helped shape this city through his service as a fire marshal, his modernization of AFR operations, and his dedication to preserving the history of this department,” Mayor Tim Keller said in a news release. “Placing his name on this historic building is a tribute that signifies his importance to the community and to his fire family.”

Several officials from AFR were on hand to celebrate the occasion, including the department’s current Fire Marshal Jason Garcia and AFR Chief Emily Jaramillo. In a statement, Jaramillo said the work Bishop did while serving in the department and the work he has done since his retirement is a testament to how seriously he took his duties as a member of AFR.

“One of the most important aspects of the fire service is honoring our traditions,” Jaramillo said. “Herman Bishop has been the authority on recording the important history of this department and through this work he has helped to preserve and pass on many of those traditions.”

Bishop said when he learned about receiving the honor last year, he celebrated by dancing with his wife of 64 years, Carmen, in their home.

“She’s been my strong support throughout my career,” he said. “She really helped me in all my fire department endeavors, so we celebrated together.”

Since its launch in 2022, the city’s Stories of Us program has set out to honor community members past and present who dedicated their lives and work to improving the city. The city has renamed 14 different locations around Albuquerque thus far. The locations range from areas within rooms to benches and various facilities.

On Monday, when he finally got his name on the Marshal’s Office, Bishop was overcome with pride and happiness.

“The fire department has been in my life for 64 years, and I’ve been a true, dyed-in-the-wool firefighter,” he said. “Once a fireman, always a fireman.”